1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to industrial fasteners and more particularly to nut plate fasteners.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Many variety of industrial fasteners are available which act like a nut in retaining a screw. Such fasteners, when formed from resilient materials, for example sheet metal, are often called "nut plates", since they retain a screw and act as a plate in distributing the load. Such nut plates are frequently employed as reinforcement members when a panel wall is relatively week; for example, a panel may be formed of thin plastic or thin metal.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,755,090 and 4,647,263, issued Jul. 5, 1988 and Mar. 3, 1987, respectively, and assigned to the assignee of the present application, disclose nut plate fasteners to which this invention relates. The nut plate fasteners disclosed in these patents essentially comprise a one-piece body member having, as portions thereof, an upper leaf and a bottom leaf, with each including an aperture therethrough for receiving the corresponding screw member. The complete disclosures of these aforementioned patents are herein incorporated by reference. A disadvantage of such nut plate fasteners is that wiring, hoses, etc. that reside proximate the structure's panel wall can be damaged by inadvertent contact with the screw member. As such, it is necessary to fasten objects proximate the panel wall which could be damaged by the exposed screw.
There is a need for an improved nut plate fastener which will isolate a screw member away from objects residing proximate a structure's panel wall.